Process for making cleaning implements



Jan. 14, 1930.-

H. CAVE ET AL PROCESS FOR MAKING CLEANING IMPLEMENTS Filed Jan. 30. 1925 Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

HENRY CAVE, OF HARTFORD, AND WALTER-H. RUDOLPH, OF WEST HARTFORD, CON- NECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO THE FULLER BRUSH COMPANY, OF 'HARTFORD, CONNECT- ICUT, A. CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT PROCESS FOR MAKING CLEANING IMPLEMENTS I Application filed January 80, 1925. Serial No. 5,766. a

This invention relates to a process for the production of floor mops, brushes and slmilar cleaning implements, and an object of the invention, among others, is the making of devices of this character in a particularly rapid, efiicient and economical manner.

One form of mechanism contemplating the rocess herein set forth and in the use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fi ure 1 is a view in section through the forming devices of a machine constructed to carry out this improved process, and illustrating an initial step in the process.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but illustrating an advanced step in the process.

Figure 3 is an end view of a portion of the formin device and a sectional view of other parts thereof looking from a point located at right angles to the point of view of F igure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but illustrating a step further advanced in the process.

Figure 5 is a similar view illustrating another further advanced step in the process.

Figure 6 is a view in section through the parts shown in Figure 5 and illustrating the same step in the process as that shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a side View of afportion of the cleaning implement resulting rom the practice of this improved process.

Figure 8 is an end view of the same.

The process forming the subject matter of this application contemplates the production of a cleaning implement, such as a floor. mop, brush or similar article, having a base within which the cleaning material, as cotton threads, bristles, hair or other fibers are-secured by extendlng such fibers around a core of metal or other suitable material that is encased within and secured to the base, the free ends of the cleaning material projecting from such base, the process contemplating the bending of the material forming the base into a trough shaped structure and then pressing the cleaning material intermediate the ends thereof into such trough-shaped structure, the core being placed upon suchmaterial and the side'parts of the casing comprising the base being then pressed together to securely fasten the core and cleaning material in place.

In the drawings forming a art of this application there is shown one orm of mechanismcomprising dies and other members for performing the operations above set out, in such drawings the numeral 8 indicating a die holder for a die 9 that is secured to the holder in any suitable manner and has a groove 10 to receive a blank 11 of sheet metaltor other between main closing dies 17 pivotally supported on a die block 18, which block may also be attached to the head 16. A baseblock 19 is located underneath the dies 17 and has guides 20 for a plunger 21 having reciprocating movement therebetween, said guides also having actuating projections 22 for the dies 17. Endclosing dies 23 are pivotally supported at opposite ends of the dies 17, it being understood that the die 9, punch 12, closing dies 17 and plunger 21 are of a length substantially that of the width of the cleaning material 24 that is to be secured within the base 25 of the cleaning implement. The plunger 21 may be reciprocated in any suitable manner, as by means of an arm 26 con-' nected'with the lower end of the plunger and operated as by means of a rock shaft 27. A core 28 of wire or other suitable'material, in the final operation is located in the loop formed by the cleaning material and inclosed within the base 25, in the mechanism herein shown for efiecting this purpose, this core being placed upon the plunger 21 by which the position shown in Figure 4 and with the rest 7 core is forced against the material 24 together with which it is pushed into the when finally bent.

When the process is carried out by the mechanism herein illustrated and described, the blank 11 is firstplaced upon the punch 12 and spring supports 13-14, and the die holder 8 being forced downwardly the blank 11 is formed to trough shape, as shown in Figure 2. This trough shaped blank is then placed between the closing dies 17, and as shown in Figure 3, the ends of the blank being located between the end closing'dies 23 that are located at each end of the dies 17, the cleaning material 24 is extended across the guides 20 and the wire comprising the core 28 is placed upon the plunger 21. The die block 18.be ing now forced downwardly as by the operation of the head 16, the end closing dies 23 push a portion of the material 24 into contact with the central portions of the guides 20, further downward movement of this struc-. ture causing the inclosing dies to' assume the of the material 24 pressed against the guides 20. The arm 26 is operatedtomovetheplunger 21 with the core 28 and the central portion'of the material 24 thereon into the ace within the blank 11. and between the on of the dies 23 prior to the time that said dies press said material into contact with the guides 20, this operation taking place preferably at about the time the plunger begins its downward movement. This pressure of the guides 20 against the material in the operation of closing the dies 23 not only holds the material by reason of an inherent 'stifiness therein, against the bottom of the groove in the blank, but said pressure crowds the material and maintains the fold thereof tightly in contact with the bottom of said groove. Further downward movement of the parts moves both the end closing dies and the main closing dies 17 into the position shown in Figures 5 and 6 thereby forming the base 25 into the shape shown m Figure 7 with the portion of said base intermediate its ends having a slot through which the material 24 extends and the edges of the ends 29 being forced together and closely against the core 2812s shown in Figure 8; r

accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes we have described the principles of operation of our invention, together with the process which we now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but we desire to have it understood that the proc ess described and device shown are only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means as fall within the scope of the appended claims and applied to uses 7 other than those above set'out.

We claim I 1. The process for forming a. cleaning 7 structure that consists in bending a blank to comprise a,base into trough shaped form, placing the folded portion of a mass of cleaning material with a core within said fold in the trough of said base, with an end of the core .projecting beyond the end of said mass, and then closing the edges of said base intermediate its ends against" said material and closing the edges of the base at the ends of said mass substantially into contact along the projecting end of said core.

2. The process for forming a cleaning structure that consists in bending a blank to comprise a base into trough'shaped form, placing the folded portion of a mass of cleaningmaterial in said base, placing a core within the fold of said material with an end of the core projecting beyond the end of said mass, and then simultaneously closing the 1 edges of said base intermediate its ends into contact with the material and the edges of the base at the ends closer together along the pro 

